Settlement and Citizenship

Providing you with certainty and security

Entitlement to Settlement and Citizenship can be a complex area but our team have experience in making such applications successful.

We can help you apply for Settlement status which gives you complete freedom from immigration control and indefinite leave to remain (ILTR). Furthermore, we can help you apply for British Citizenship. This enables you to become a British Citizen free of immigration controls.

In both cases, the application process is strict and varies depending on the circumstance of your application. We’ll help you check whether your applications are accurate and if they meet the Home Office’s set criteria. Additionally, after evaluating your applications we can also help you prepare them and submit them to the home office. As we support and guide you through the process we can deal with any issues that arise.

Important things to consider:

If an individual with settlement (indefinite leave to remain ILR) remains absent from the UK for two consecutive years, the ‘ILR’ may lapse.

When applying for British Citizenship it’s called a registration for people under 18 years of age and naturalisation for adults.

An application to become a British Citizen can take 2-3 months to process. However, the time is dependent on the complexity of the application and the number of applications UKVI has to process. Also, fees differ but at the moment the cost is around £1,236 per applicant.

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Support and guidance with every stage

There are different settlement applications that include Indefinite leave to remain on the basis of long residence, in one of the point based system categories, as a refugee, on the basis of Discretionary Leave to Remain, as a victim of domestic violence and as a partner or child of a British Citizen.

The requirements when applying for a Settlement and British Citizenship are very similar. In both cases, you need to have Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK or as an EEA national have permanent residence in the UK. Also, you must be living in the UK continuously and lawfully for a specific amount of time. However, you may already have a visa providing you with settled status in the UK e.g. worker, spouse, unmarried partner or civil partner visa. You must be 18 or over and meet residential requirements by intending to have your main home in the UK. Also, it’s important to meet the residential qualifying period of five years (three for spouse/civil partners of a British Citizen.) It’s essential to not have a recent criminal record or broken any immigration laws or conditions while in the UK

You must meet the English Language Requirement which includes being able to communicate in English, Welsh, Scottish or Gaelic and pass both the English Language B1 qualification test and Life in the UK test. This requires you to have sufficient knowledge of life in the UK. Additionally, you must be of sound mind. This means you can make your own decisions and understand the steps in the application. Having good character and showing respect for the rights and freedom of the UK is important. Finally, you should have knowledge of the UK’s laws, allowing you to fulfil your duties and obligations as a resident.

By gaining settlement you have unrestricted entry to the UK, free from immigration control. You and your children will be eligible to apply for naturalisation (British Citizenship) within a further qualifying period. This gives you the full benefits of a British Citizen. Moreover, you can apply for a British passport and travel freely within the EU.

By gaining a British Citizenship you can live and work in the UK free of any immigration controls or restrictions (right of abode.)

Refusal of a British Citizenship may occur if you have previous convictions and offences. Our team of immigration lawyers can advise you on what to expect and how convictions and offences can affect your application.

There is no right of appeal against a decision to refuse an application for British Citizenship. However, you can apply for the application to be reconsidered if you believe the decision was not soundly based on law, policy and procedure. If the decision remains and you believe it is unlawful, unreasonable or there have been procedural errors, you may be able to apply for judicial review. This can be time-consuming, complex and costly. Seeking legal advice in this instance is imperative in order for your outcome to be successful.

Our immigration team have the expertise and experience to assist you with any issues you have relating to immigration. This includes settlement and citizenship. We can help you with making applications to register as a British Citizen and naturalising as a British Citizen. Also, we can help you prepare an application for reconsideration of a refused application for citizenship. We can also help and challenge a refusal by issuing an application for judicial review.

Obtaining a settlement and a Citizenship can be complex. For example, if you’ve had more than one type of visa since coming to the UK or you’re application has been refused, failing to disclose relevant information may result in a refusal and is likely to prejudice future applications.We can advise you on the requirements and procedure for a settlement application and can provide advice and assistance when an application has been refused.

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“The legal process, from beginning to end, can be a very daunting experience for anybody. My aim is to provide clear and effective advice and support to my clients, no matter the circumstance or legal issue, in order to reach the best outcome for them”.

“My aim is to make a difference and help bring legal services into the 21st century by not conforming to traditionalism and social status but by offering practical, commercial and Latin-free legal advice in times of need to both Businesses and Individuals.”